I have discovered a way to treat some of the most serious side long-term effects caused by Accutane use. This works for me, although I strongly recommend talking to your doctor before trying the 5-HTP.
A Cure...
My name is Matt. In the early '90's, I took a 3 month course of Accutane. During treatment, I experienced many side effects. Of the three most prominent of these, depression was the most disturbing. My girlfriend at that time complained that during my course, I was moodier and had become angry, aggressive and just "different". Although I didn't experience any joint pain then, my face did become much more sensitive to sun and so I followed my dermatologist's directions to refrain from physical activities and to keep out of the sun until finishing my 3 month course. In addition, I experienced soft stools and bloating in my stomach. Over the years, I have experienced a worsening of these symptoms and more to boot. I was diagnosed with IBD, possible Crohn's disease. My muscles become sore with the most moderate physical activities. I believe it is called Fibromyalgia. Fatigue, reduced sex drive, aggressive behavior, anxiety, panic attacks multiple times over 18 years plagued my life. I have taken SSRI's which helped but had unacceptable side-effects. I began to get pain in my joints. My face still becomes red after exercise or any alcohol drinks. People regularly ask me if I have been in the sun. After visiting too many Accutane forums and discovering so many other people who have had a similar time and experienced that same side effects, and also finding very few methods for treating them effectively, I became inconsolably depressed.
There was, however enough information so I was able to discover the effects of Accutane on our bodies. Serotonin is necessary for the proper functioning of the human body, including proper digestion, muscle function, and our brain and nervous systems. Accutane somehow alters the body's ability to produce or Serotonin. Many symptoms associated with Accutane side effects are a result of this deficiency. The naturally-occuring amino acid 5-HTP (5 hydroxytryptophan) is usually sourced from the seeds of Griffonia simplicifolia. Sold in the UK, United States and other many countries over the counter at any health food store, it acts by converting tryptophan (Thanksgiving turkey) into serotonin. Instead of preventing the re-uptake of whatever little Serotonin my body produces, as do the SSRI class of anti-depressants, 5-HTP immediately creates new serotonin in the body. It is relatively safe. Because it is plant-derived, it holds the chemo-structural wisdom of the earth and its evolution instead of big pharma's profit-motives. Some indications include recommended dosage and warnings about combining it with SSRI's or alcohol. Unfortunately there isn't enough information available online about this naturally-occurring amino acid. Check out the CAM page at the Nation Institutes of Health in which it is mentioned as a sleep aid.
Now for the good stuff...5 HTP totally eliminates several Accutane long-term side effects. My digestion is now normal! My muscles feel normal again and my anxiety and depression is absolutely gone. The beauty of 5-HTP is that instead of the SSRI's sexual disfunction, buzzy feeling and fatigue, my sexual function has increased several fold. With decreased anxiety, I am far less prone to addictive behavior such as overeating or smoking. I feel energy, mental clarity and physical wellness. 5-HTP's cost averages about 9 dollars for a month supply of quality caps or tabs. It does not seem to help the joint pain I still have but luckily, over-the-counter Glucosamine does that trick. Hopefully I will find natural remedies for my other side-effects as well soon. Be well, my friends and prosper.
Hi There,
I have been supplementing with Beta Carotene and it has been incredible for overcoming Accutane side effects in the long-term. Since taking the drug in '91, I have suffered from anxiety and depression, sexual dysfunction, joint pain...the list goes on. Because of the fact that Isotretinoin or Accutane is a vitamin A derivative and is responsible for all of the miserable side effects that have plagued me for years, I never thought that supplementing with vitamin A was a good idea. However, many of my side effects I found out were similar to vitamin A deficiency! Poor night vision, leukoplakia, irritability, low energy, etc. Since taking Beta Carotene in doses ranging between 10-40,000 IU per day, all of the psychological and sexual symptoms have improved a great deal. I still have some joint pain but I am taking other supps for this that really help. Beta C. is not a miracle cure-all, but it will make your life better than anything else I believe. I take a food based form that is made from carrot concentrate, lemon grass, spirulina. Somehow, just eating carrots on their own hasn't been effective in the same way. Please consult your Naturepath or MD to confirm my findings, but I wanted to share with you my experience so that others might benefit and not have to suffer any more from Accutane's long-term effects.
Health and Best,
Matt Doszkocs (AKA Chiron)
hello everyone. i was reading topics on accutane side effects on this forum from past 3 months. and all that reading has helped me a lottttttttttt. i am a bit confused on how and where to put my story on this forum.so i am starting it here........
i am male,23,india
i had mild acne and blackheads(not noticeable even in close photographs) since age 14.i tried every prescription and otc stuff for that.then in 2012 i read about accutane on net and asked my derm for it.he refused it in single line"its not for you"(doctors are best one liners).then i went to the best hospital in india i.e AIMS.here i consulted a new dermatology passed out (may be doing his practice) he also replied "its not for you".ithought these docs are jerks.why cant they explain me.then i went to a private hospital named MAX.here i asked about accutane the lady derm told me that its availaible under brand name sotret in india and she would prescribe me.i asked about the side effects and she said that they rarely happen like with every other medicine.i was very happy.i took 20 mg for 3 months and course finished in aug 2012.and i learned that sotret (isotretinoin) is availaible in india like any other medicine.i could go to a pharmacy asked him to give sotret pay hin 150 ruppes(around 3 $) and take 10 sotret capsules, home no prescription required.
during the course i experienced only dry lips(which came to normal in 1 month after treatment) and dry eyes(still dry and still using eye drops and thus they are managable).and i had CLEAR SKIN.i thought that all those horror stories i read earlier were lies and cursed my self for not using earlier.thought that i could have a great life like confidence,good academics(i was topper till acne hit me and a c grader after it hit me),girlfriends(never had any),attention,the true feeling of youth.
SAD PART OF THE STORY BEGINS..........
side effects started to appear in jan 2013 i.e after 5-6 months of course.initialy mild joint cracking,poping etc.then slowly the cracking became louder and wide spread,dry eyes were there from start but managable,joint pain back pain,grinding or churning sound when i rotate my neck etc and in just only 4-5 months every joint in my body cracks and i have permanent knee pain (back pain comes and goes).and moreover my blackheads are back.i called the derm to fix an appointment to discuss the side effects.she again gave me a one liner " these side effects are not related to isotretnoin" and asked me to see a specialist. then i started searching for solution on my own(btw my wrist has cracked 12th time since i started typing this).i bought natrol glucosamine ,chronditin and msm, vit d,vit e,calcium, glutamine,increased protein intake ,coconut oil but i doubt they have produced any effect
one more thing i came to know about is that branded products like natrol glucosamine chronditin msm are also availaible in genric form and are much much cheaper.example-i bought natrol glucosamine cost about 1200 rupees for 60 tabs and a generic medicine(tablets) like ossicare cost only 400 ruppes for 60 tabs of same strength.
i read about hyaluronic acid but could not order it because its not available in Indian online stores and local health stores and stores like ebay and amazon charge shipping fees which is much greater than the product itself so avoiding it.
i would appreciate if some one could suggest me a hyaluronic (generic or branded) acid product and magnesium tabs or capsules availaible in india.
i hope my story guides those people who think that medicinal side effects can not happen to them,because i was in their shoes earlier.
if any one could plz guide me for lab test which could identify and deficiency or toxicity etc i would be very thankful.
Tooksotret 20-40 mg for 4 monthsfor my moderate acne basically lot ofblackheads, it improved my condition by 95% for next 1.5 year but gave me side effects also. Started experiencing side effects like clicking/popping sound in every joints, flaky t zone, dry eyes(its my mistake...did not tell doctor that i dad lasik surgeryjust one month prior to starting this acne medication.after 5 years now Myside effects have reduced to the extent of 50%) and i dont think they will go now but they are bearable.
But the reason i wanted to write this isthat after 2-3 years of taking isotretinoin blackheads and acneagain started to appear with full intensity and i never wantedto take that medicine again nor want to recommend it to anyone because its intended effect may last only for few years but its side effects may last life time so by some luck i stumbled upon a electronic facial brush online and used it for 1 month and i got as good results as i got from that brush...my skin pores were unblocked because the brush clears our skin 10 times better than hands....this was the kind of solution i should have used instead of that medicine. Have been using that brush for more than 1.5 years now and i am so happy with it...just make sure to start slowly like using it every other day initially for 2 weeks then you can use it daily...and you can moisturize with coconut oil or almond oil before washing your face....your skin will have the same effect as using isotretinoin especially if you were like 70% blackhead and 30% pimples like me....my pores are not blocked now so i dont have blackheads/whiteheads oozing out of my skin...
plz plz everyone should try those facial cleanser brush....they work so much better than these medications including isotretinoin...it will take some time to start noticing change like 15-30 days but after 30-45 days you will be convinced that this is the solution especially for people suffering with blackhead/whiteheads majorily( i had acne since the age of 13...from 13 to 22my moderate acne were like pimples after that it was 70% blackheads/whiteheads and 30% pimples....isotretinoin cleared me for almost 2 years then my blackhead/ whiteheads returned)
I used phillips visa pure facial brush...but you can try any one...there are much better brushes out there...but it was affordable for me so i bought it....but there are many expensive and good ones out there...you can try anyone...basic idea is to unclog our pores which our hands are not able to much....the cleaning of these brushes is atleast 5 times better than our hands....plus i use neutrogena scrub 2-3 times a week and neutrogena oil free acne wash 2-3 times a week with that brush. But i dont think that these face washes or scrub are the reason for change in my skin...its only that facial brush that has made the difference. in winter i wash my face with the above products and that brush only once in 2 days...and in summers i wash my face daily. You can moisturize with some coconut or almond or any oil you like 15 mins before cleansingyour face with that brush using face wash or scrub of your choice...
As for side effects of sotret...(.i.e clicking sound in joints, some time pain to and dry eyes and flaky t zone) ....they improved greatly when i shifted to a very humid place for 7 months and started taking whey protein along with running excercise....i thought i got out of it....but whey protein or running or bothdontnot seem to do the trick now....i think...it was the humidity ofthat place....there was a lot of sweating there....
Things have been going down in life professionally( skin wise am happy, and side effects are bearable now they have reduced by 50% in 5 years but not gone completely ) so dont have much time to come and look back or reply...so please post it to relevant places on this platform....am not sure if am posting it onthe right place....
And to summarise ....please try facial cleaning brush for one month atleast(be very careful if you have big pimples type acne, but it works for sure for persistent blackheads/whiteheads moderateacne that aremainly because ofblocked pores)
On 6/21/2011 at 5:08 PM, CHIRON said:I have discovered a way to treat some of the most serious side long-term effects caused by Accutane use. This works for me, although I strongly recommend talking to your doctor before trying the 5-HTP.
A Cure...
My name is Matt. In the early '90's, I took a 3 month course of Accutane. During treatment, I experienced many side effects. Of the three most prominent of these, depression was the most disturbing. My girlfriend at that time complained that during my course, I was moodier and had become angry, aggressive and just "different". Although I didn't experience any joint pain then, my face did become much more sensitive to sun and so I followed my dermatologist's directions to refrain from physical activities and to keep out of the sun until finishing my 3 month course. In addition, I experienced soft stools and bloating in my stomach. Over the years, I have experienced a worsening of these symptoms and more to boot. I was diagnosed with IBD, possible Crohn's disease. My muscles become sore with the most moderate physical activities. I believe it is called Fibromyalgia. Fatigue, reduced sex drive, aggressive behavior, anxiety, panic attacks multiple times over 18 years plagued my life. I have taken SSRI's which helped but had unacceptable side-effects. I began to get pain in my joints. My face still becomes red after exercise or any alcohol drinks. People regularly ask me if I have been in the sun. After visiting too many Accutane forums and discovering so many other people who have had a similar time and experienced that same side effects, and also finding very few methods for treating them effectively, I became inconsolably depressed.
There was, however enough information so I was able to discover the effects of Accutane on our bodies. Serotonin is necessary for the proper functioning of the human body, including proper digestion, muscle function, and our brain and nervous systems. Accutane somehow alters the body's ability to produce or Serotonin. Many symptoms associated with Accutane side effects are a result of this deficiency. The naturally-occuring amino acid 5-HTP (5 hydroxytryptophan) is usually sourced from the seeds of Griffonia simplicifolia. Sold in the UK, United States and other many countries over the counter at any health food store, it acts by converting tryptophan (Thanksgiving turkey) into serotonin. Instead of preventing the re-uptake of whatever little Serotonin my body produces, as do the SSRI class of anti-depressants, 5-HTP immediately creates new serotonin in the body. It is relatively safe. Because it is plant-derived, it holds the chemo-structural wisdom of the earth and its evolution instead of big pharma's profit-motives. Some indications include recommended dosage and warnings about combining it with SSRI's or alcohol. Unfortunately there isn't enough information available online about this naturally-occurring amino acid. Check out the CAM page at the Nation Institutes of Health in which it is mentioned as a sleep aid.
Now for the good stuff...5 HTP totally eliminates several Accutane long-term side effects. My digestion is now normal! My muscles feel normal again and my anxiety and depression is absolutely gone. The beauty of 5-HTP is that instead of the SSRI's sexual disfunction, buzzy feeling and fatigue, my sexual function has increased several fold. With decreased anxiety, I am far less prone to addictive behavior such as overeating or smoking. I feel energy, mental clarity and physical wellness. 5-HTP's cost averages about 9 dollars for a month supply of quality caps or tabs. It does not seem to help the joint pain I still have but luckily, over-the-counter Glucosamine does that trick. Hopefully I will find natural remedies for my other side-effects as well soon. Be well, my friends and prosper.
To think that the regulators only added erectile dysfunction and low libdo to the PIL in October 2017 - they knew about it for years!
There is a lot they are not telling you about and you should really research this drug throughly.
